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Political Briefs
Top stories
Republicans Valadao, Denham vote against immigration bill – Valley Republican Reps. David Valadao of Hanford and Jeff Denham of Turlock voted against a House bill Wednesday that would provide nearly $40 billion to finance the Homeland Security Department through the rest of the budget year. The bill includes provisions rolling back President Barack Obama’s actions on immigration. The bill passed 236-191. Valadao and Denham were the only California Republicans (and only 10 total in the House) to vote no; all of California’s Democrats including Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno voted no. Fresno Bee article
George Skelton: Kamala Harris is front-runner for Boxer’s seat – for the moment – Who will be California’s next U.S. senator, replacing the retiring Democrat Barbara Boxer? It’ll be another Democrat, bet on that. State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, 50, is the early front-runner. But we’ll have to see how she performs running for a big-time office. Skelton column in LA Times
State budget
Democrats who grew up poor pledge to expand social services — Two Democratic leaders who rose up from poverty pitted themselves against Jerry Brown on Wednesday by pledging to expand social services despite the governor’s call for resisting new spending. AP article
Gregory Bourne: California should put families, early childhood education first – The co-founder of Lead4Tomorrow writes, “We would be wiser to invest more in remedying the causes of disadvantaged, disrupted and broken families than what California spends on prisons. Funding and supporting early childhood development must be a priority, not an afterthought.” Bourne op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Statewide politics/Ballot Measures
Senators back Harris for Senate; Villaraigosa ‘very likely’ to run – One by one, three U.S. senators took turns tweeting Wednesday that they were “excited” by California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris’ run for Sen. Barbara Boxer’s seat. LA Times article
Tony Quinn: A racial battle for the U.S. Senate — The fight over who succeeds Sen. Barbara Boxer will not be partisan; it will be racial. For a quarter century, California’s two US Senate seats have been held by white Jewish women. Now the race to succeed her is shaping up to feature the Democratic establishment’s candidate, an African American South Asian woman; a candidate for the surging Latino population; and another white Jew. Quinn in Fox & Hounds
Tom Steyer looks good in his own Senate 2016 poll – Hedge fund billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer said Tuesday he’s considering whether to run for California’s U.S. Senate seat in 2016, but apparently he’s been mulling this for a while: A polling memo shows he commissioned a survey on his chances in mid-December.And those chances aren’t bad, the poll found. Political Blotter
Debra Saunders: Carly Fiorina, no longer deadbeat candidate — This just in: Carly Fiorina paid off the debt from her losing 2010 Senate campaign against Sen. Barbara Boxer. As I wrote last month, the former HP head is mulling over a 2016 presidential run — which made her failure to pay off her handlers and vendors rather puzzling. Losing candidates often owe money, but she’s a rich candidate, who was partially self-funded. Nonetheless, she left behind debt just under $500,000. Saunders column in San Francisco Chronicle
Immigration
House votes to undo Obama immigration actions – Shunning a White House veto threat and opposition within their own party, House Republicans approved legislation Wednesday to overturn President Barack Obama’s key immigration policies and expose hundreds of thousands of younger immigrants to expulsion from the U.S. AP article;
Licenses draw thousands – The California Department of Motor Vehicles released preliminary statistics Tuesday on the progress of a new law that requires DMVs across the state to issue licenses to undocumented immigrant applicants. According to DMV spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez, 85 undocumented immigrants were seen at the Hanford office during Assembly Bill 60’s first day of implementation on Jan. 2. Hanford statistics after Jan. 2 were not available. Hanford Sentinel article
LA Unified students facing deportation may get help from school attorneys — The Los Angeles Unified School District school board is weighing whether to allow 10 to 15 district attorneys to assist students with their deportation cases. KPCC report
Other areas
California Senate leader defends bill, cites ethics reforms – Two weeks after turning the calendar on a year that saw four members of the state Senate face criminal charges, the body’s new leader on Wednesday defended one of his own bills amid reports the FBI had questions about it. AP article
Alfred Villalobos, fixture in CalPERS corruption scandal, apparently commits suicide — In failing health and facing up to 30 years in prison, Nevada businessman Alfred Villalobos apparently committed suicide before going on trial in connection with the bribery scandal at CalPERS. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
‘First Look’: Lois Henry discusses Judicial Council wrongs — Wednesday on “First Look with Scott Cox,” Californian columnist Lois Henry talked about the effects the AOC spending has on Kern County. For starters, the AOC had 200 employees a couple of years back but decided to hire nearly 1,000 employees. Henry said they have scaled back to about 700 people. Bakersfield Californian article
Sen. Dianne Feinstein resolute in opposition to legalizing pot — Dianne Feinstein is emerging as one of Washington’s toughest critics of the Obama administration’s tolerance for marijuana use. Long a strident supporter of the government’s War on Drugs, the 81-year-old Democrat is showing no sign of bowing to the shifting views of constituents in California and colleagues on Capitol Hill. LA Times article
California Government Today:
Assembly Daily File
News Briefs
Top Stories
Delta fish species plunge amid drought – California’s ongoing drought marked a setback for five important fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in 2014, including the Delta smelt, a signature native fish that has often altered the course of state water policy. Sacramento Bee article
Crime is up, and Fresno County law enforcement leaders blame Prop 47 – Proposition 47 was approved by voters in November and reclassified some property and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. This change has greatly reduced the number of county jail inmates, but is also being blamed for an increase in crime, the county’s top three law enforcement officials said Wednesday. Fresno Bee article
Jobs and the Economy
Another Valley lawmaker joins fight against predatory ADA lawsuits – Another Central Valley lawmaker has joined the fight to stop people from using the Americans with Disabilities Act to file “predatory lawsuits” against businesses in an effort to collect cash settlements. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, joined more than a dozen legislators in co-sponsoring a federal bill to give small businesses an opportunity to comply with ADA regulations and protect them from drive-by lawsuits. Merced Sun-Star article
Corcoran, Avenal close to settling lawsuits against Kings County – City leaders in Corcoran and Avenal have reportedly reached agreement on monetary settlements that would end property tax litigation that has dragged on for more than a year. The cities sued Kings County to recover property tax administrative fees that city officials believed their municipalities were entitled to. Hanford Sentinel article
New Merced County supervisor votes against discretionary funding requests – Newly elected county Supervisor Daron McDaniel made waves at his first Board of Supervisors meeting this week, voting against requests from fellow supervisors to spend their discretionary funding on four nonprofits. Merced Sun-Star article
Turlock council plans close look at city operations – Mayor Gary Soiseth has announced a series of public workshops related to his campaign pledge to do a 100-day review of city operations. The effort will start Saturday with a look at the city’s strategic plan and continue with meetings examining specific areas such as water, transportation and public safety. It will wind up April 28, making it technically a 102-day review. Modesto Bee article
Home foreclosure crises in rear-view mirror – It’s now clear that 2014 is the year that San Joaquin County finally put the foreclosure crisis behind it, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Wednesday. Stockton Record article
SLO-based tech firm buys Fresno’s Innovative IT Inc. – A fast-growing San Luis Obispo information-technology firm is expanding its footprint in the central San Joaquin Valley with its acquisition of Fresno-based Innovative IT Inc. Fresno Bee article
Uproar over LA minimum wage study spurs calls for more studies – A city councilman pushing to boost the minimum wage in Los Angeles is inviting more study of the idea — this time from some of its biggest fans and foes. Councilman Curren Price is asking the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the L.A. County labor federation to submit their own studies after the city came under fire for its choice of a UC Berkeley research team to analyze two proposals to raise the minimum wage citywide. LA Times article
LA County business group opposes proposed minimum wage hikes — An alliance of Los Angeles County business groups announced Wednesday that it is opposed to hiking the citywide minimum wage in Los Angeles. The L.A. County Business Federation, also known as BizFed, argued that boosting the minimum wage to $13.25 an hour by 2017 — or higher, to $15.25 by 2019 — as proposed by some city leaders would harm efforts to reduce poverty by driving jobs away from the city. LA Times article
Judge disqualified in Chukchansi casino raid case; security guard released without bail – A Madera County Superior Court judge presiding over the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino raid case was disqualified Wednesday morning following a defendant’s challenge, and the newly assigned judge allowed one defendant released without bail. Fresno Bee article
George Hostetter: Brandau’s news conference probably is about noses as well as water – Fresno City Hall should be hopping on Thursday — water rates will be the catalyst. Council Member Steve Brandau has scheduled a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the historic Fresno Water Tower at O and Fresno streets. His agenda: The proposed hikes to water rates to pay for Mayor Ashley Swearengin’s $429 million upgrade to the city’s water system. She said Fresno’s future depends on the project. Hostetter in Fresno Bee
Obama to push for new paid leave policy for federal workers – President Obama plans to sign a memorandum ordering that federal employees have access to at least six weeks of paid leave when a new child arrives in their family, while also urging Congress to extend greater family leave benefits to their own workers and to millions of other Americans. LA Times article
Security First Bank report profit jump between 2013 and 2014 – Security First Bank in Fresno reported that its net income for 2014 was a record $2 million, or $1.13 per share, a five-fold increase from the profit of $393,000 or 22 cents per share that the bank reported for 2013. Fresno Bee article; The Business Journal article
Apprentices trade Sacramento street life for arena construction jobs – Martinez, 24, is one of 70 “priority apprentices” being plucked from low-income Sacramento-area neighborhoods to help build downtown Sacramento’s new arena. “Pushing dirt,” Martinez says, plying a new trade aboard graders and bulldozers he learned to drive as a product of Sacramento Job Corps’ equipment pre-apprenticeship program, a pipeline to the arena project. Sacramento Bee article
San Francisco to open one-stop center for homeless in Mission – San Francisco is about to launch an innovative attempt to clear up the most densely packed concentration of homeless street campers in the city by building a combination one-stop help and temporary housing center right where the problem is toughest. San Francisco Chronicle article
San Diego mayor promises to keep Chargers from moving to Los Angeles – San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer promised Wednesday night that by this fall a plan will be ready for public consideration on building a new Chargers stadium and keeping “our football team” from moving to Los Angeles. LA Times article
Home sales perk up in Southern California as price gains slow – Home sales picked up their pace in December, in the latest sign that the region’s housing recovery might finally be reaching more people. LA Times article
Ex-Vallejo manager’s ironic fight with CalPERS – As Vallejo careened toward bankruptcy in 2008, then-city manager Joseph Tanner blamed the town’s fiscal meltdown on high pay and benefits for police and firefighters. Now Tanner, 66, is on the losing side of an ironic pension fight with CalPERS over whether his retirement should be based on a $300,000 salary that included the cash value of his car allowance and other extras. Sacramento Bee article
California gold miners score another win over state — California’s 21st century gold miners have scored a second major victory over state efforts to restrict – or ban – them from searching for the precious metal in rivers and streams on federally owned land, such as national forests. Capitol Alert
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Bakersfield will try education, rebates to cut water use – With city residential water use down again in December, a month when lawns aren’t watered as often anyway, Bakersfield’s water board on Wednesday decided against asking residents to water their landscaping only on “odd or even” days. Instead, the city will work with the California Water Service Co. and other urban water agencies to tell residents about incentives on water-saving appliances and energy-saving home upgrades. Bakersfield Californian article
Anti-drought bill by Rep. Napolitano catching a wave of interest in Congress – The saga of the California drought — possibly the most severe in 1,200 years — may not be enough on its own to cause the 114th Congress to fork over billions in federal dollars for new water projects that benefit the Golden State. But the story has reverberated with Texas lawmakers who’ve seen more than seven years of drought at home, and even pricked up the ears of East Coast members whose constituencies have experienced water supply problems, flooding and extreme weather and are demanding Congress take action to protect the nation’s water supply. LA Daily News article
Valley farmers face crackdown on fumigant use – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is limiting the use of a popular fumigant in the state, saying tighter restrictions of chloropicrin are needed to protect the public. Fresno Bee article; KVPR report
California’s tough new rules on pesticides chloropicrin likely to raise produce prices – California farmers now must abide by the nation’s strictest rules for a widely used pesticide in a change designed to protect farmworkers and people who live and work near agricultural fields but is likely to raise prices on produce. AP article; LA Times article
Lindsay, SCE join in the local water conservation effort – The Southern California Edison Tulare facility is going native — as in using native plants to replace water-soaking manicured lawns in an effort to conserve water. The city of Lindsay turned off the water at two public fountains, including one at the public library. Both are local examples the Water Wise column spotted when it comes to conserving H20 during the drought. Visalia Times-Delta article
Woodlake citrus packing house fire under investigation — Fire investigators remained at a citrus packing operation in west Woodlake on Wednesday afternoon to determine what started a large fire that caused $1 million in damages to a corner of the facility. Fresno Bee article; Visalia Times-Delta article
Visalia brothers’ bag protects trees from frost damage — They say necessity is the mother of invention, but a brother can do just as well. Visalia’s Greg Cox said that was the case after several nights of freezing temperatures in December 2013 damaged a large amount of fruit at his family’s citrus grove east of Reedley. Visalia Times-Delta article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Stockton Record: Body cameras a positive move – At some point in 2015, approximately 250 of the Stockton Police Department’s patrol officers will be equipped with body cameras. This is a very positive development. Stockton Record editorial
Body camera video of Arizona police officer’s killing stirs ethical debate – The video, which shows an officer fatally shot by a suspect who then kills himself, raises questions about the balance between the public’s right to know and privacy concerns for officers. LA Times article
Study documents steep decline in killings of police officers since 1970s — A new report by UC Berkeley law Professor Franklin Zimring finds that the number of police officers killed in the line of duty has drastically declined over the past four decades while the number of people killed by police has also declined, but far less dramatically. KQED report
Police killings prompt array of bills in state legislatures — With legislatures convening across the country, lawmakers are moving quickly to respond to one of the biggest stories of the past year, the police killings of unarmed residents in Missouri, New York and elsewhere. AP article
Education
Out-of-state interest drives UC applications to all-time high – A surge in interest from out-of-state and international students drove another year of record application numbers at the University of California, according to data released this week by the university. Sacramento Bee article
San Francisco City College shutdown averted with two-year extension — The commission that has sought to revoke accreditation from City College of San Francisco will grant the huge school two additional years to come into compliance, the commission announced Wednesday. San Francisco Chronicle article; Sacramento Bee article; KQED report; LA Times article
Suspensions, expulsions down statewide – New state data show a steep drop in suspensions and expulsions of California students, continuing a recent downward trend. Altogether, 20 percent fewer students were expelled and 15 percent fewer students were suspended in 2013-14 than in the previous year. EdSource article
Suspensions and expulsions down again in Kern – Kern County school districts are improving suspension and expulsion numbers more than twice as fast as the state,according to 2013-2014 data the state released Wednesday. Bakersfield Californian article
Camila Chavez: Schoolwide support needed to make PBIS approach work – The executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation writes, “It’s exciting that some Bakersfield schools are taking steps to create safe and supportive classrooms for all students. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a fresh approach to discipline that helps students understand the impact of their behavior on others and take responsibility for their actions.” Chavez op-ed in Bakersfield Californian
Learning to stop bullying – Mothers with babies and toddlers in tow, fathers and grandparents listened thoughtfully and shared their concerns and ideas — in some cases, even their tears — during an interactive anti-bullying parent training session at the south Stockton school, one of several conducted each year at school sites across the district. Stockton Record article
New Fresno State ag college honors program begins — Fresno State’s Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Upper Division Honors Program officially begins this week with its first group of students. The Business Journal article
Fresno Pacific gets $5 million to study math and science education — Fresno Pacific University has been given a $5 million endowment from the AIMS Center for Math and Science Education to help fund graduate students interested in science and math education in the central San Joaquin Valley. Fresno Bee article
How to report test scores to parents debated — With California students set to begin taking new Smarter Balanced tests in the Common Core State Standards this spring, state education officials are worried about how parents will view the results – especially if, as experts predict, their kids’ initial scores will be low. EdSource article
Dan Walters Daily: Uncertain future for California school accountability — California’s education system is undergoing major changes, which has complicated school accountability efforts, Dan says. Dan Walters Daily in Sacramento Bee
Energy/Environment
Fracking study finds significant environmental impacts – Oil well stimulation techniques such as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” may entail a number of “significant and unavoidable” environmental impacts that cannot be fully cushioned by mitigation measures, according to a draft environmental review released Wednesday by state regulators. Bakersfield Californian article
California using hydraulic fracking in up to half of new wells: state study — Hydraulic fracturing unlocked oil at around one-half of the new wells launched in California over the last decade, and the practice will likely expand in a chunk of the San Joaquin Valley, according to a new study required by the 2013 law to regulate the practice. Capitol Alert; Capital Public Radio report; San Francisco Chronicle article
Obama’s move to cut methane emissions may hinge on economy — As President Obama tries to build an enduring legacy on climate change, he is finding that the biggest obstacle in his path may not be his many critics in Congress or lawsuits from oil companies but the precarious state of the economy. LA Times article
Slower start, fast finish for sea level rise last century, study says — Sea level rise during the bulk of the 20th century has been overestimated, a new report suggests. The Harvard-led study, published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, knocks about half a millimeter off estimates of annual sea level rise that have been based on tide gauges. But it nonetheless confirms satellite data showing that the annual rate has sharply accelerated since the 1990s. LA Times article
Michael Picker: PUC pledges to improve safety, rebuild public trust – The president of the California Public Utilities Commission writes, “I am confident that working together and making real changes in how we do business will result in a stronger PUC that robustly serves the interests of the people of California and helps us improve safety in all the industries we regulate.” Picker op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Health/Human Services
Uninsured Californians to face increasing tax penalties – With tax season approaching, Covered California officials are reminding the public that those who do not receive health coverage from their employer and did not enroll in health coverage last year will face a tax penalty when they go to file their 2014 taxes due in April. Those who continue without coverage in 2015 will see even steeper penalties next year. Merced Sun-Star article
Health care enrollment efforts heat up – With only a month left to sign up for online-marketplace health insurance this year, the Obama administration and support groups are ramping up their outreach efforts as the Feb. 15 deadline nears. AP article
Fewer struggle with medical costs as coverage grows, study shows — Not only do more Americans have health insurance, but the number struggling with medical costs has dropped since President Obama’s health care law expanded coverage, according to a study released Thursday. AP article
Fresno Bee: Measles is back, thanks to the anti-vaxxers — We can’t say the outbreak is a surprise. For years, public health officials have warned that the anti-vaccination movement was making us and our children vulnerable to formerly conquered diseases. Fresno Bee editorial
Disneyland, holiday travel a perfect mix for measles’ spread – The measles outbreak happened at a vulnerable place and at a bad moment. Disneyland was filled with holiday tourists from around the world the week before Christmas when someone with measles spread the disease. With its packed walkways, long lines and enclosed spaces, the theme park offered prime conditions for measles to spread and travel as visitors returned home. LA Times article
Sutter Gould rates best in state by consumer magazine — Sutter Gould Medical Foundation clinics work on creating a good experience for their 250,000 patients in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties. According to Consumer Reports Magazine, their patients appreciate it. Modesto Bee article
Flu season peaks; vaccines still available — California health officials confirmed the first flu-related death of the 2014-15 season late last week, giving many a wake-up call. Merced Sun-Star article
Juliene Flanders: Fighting childhood obesity a high priority in Patterson – The Recreation and Community Services Director for Patterson writes, “At a time when obesity rates remain high, my colleagues and I know that to improve our communities’ health we need to make addressing childhood obesity our top priority. Sure, it might not be the “sexiest” topic, but it is certainly important.” Flanders op-ed in Modesto Bee
Family Health Care Network expands to Tulare – Tulare area residents will soon have a new choice of where they can get their healthcare. Family HealthCare Network will open a health clinic in Tulare by midyear, said CEO Kerry Hydash. Visalia Times-Delta article
Jeff Jardine: West Side shelter could do more with more – Patterson has roughly 22,000 residents and a growing homeless population. Yet until 2013, the city had no homeless emergency housing as required by SB 2, signed into law in 2007 and applicable to any city of more than 10,000 residents. Today, it has HOST House, giving a hand up to “people who are making changes in their lives.” Jardine column in Modesto Bee
Detailed study confirms high suicide rate among recent veterans — Recent veterans have committed suicide at a much higher rate than people who never served in the military, according to a new analysis that provides the most thorough accounting so far of the problem. The rate was slightly higher among veterans who never deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, suggesting that the causes extend beyond the trauma of war. LA Times article
Transportation
2,000 rally against high-speed rail in Angeles forest – A proposal to lay high-speed rail tracks through California’s Angeles National Forest brought thousands of opponents to a rally Tuesday night in the eastern San Fernando Valley. LA Times article
New flights from Visalia to Burbank, Sacramento to begin next month — SeaPort Airlines announced Tuesday that it will add flights out of Visalia Municipal Airport to and from Burbank and Sacramento beginning Feb. 9. Fresno Bee article
Other Areas
Stockton mayor complains he’s out of the loop – The year that has passed since the interim tag was removed from Kurt Wilson’s title and he became Stockton’s city manager has been a time of serenity in stark contrast to the blunt, plainspoken tenure of Bob Deis. But Mayor Anthony Silva’s closing remarks at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting marked a break in the calm, at least for a few minutes. Stockton Record article
Modesto’s Larry Martin to lead Maddy Institute board — Larry Martin, Senior Advisor – E.J. Gallo Legal Department, was elected Chair of the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno on Jan. 7. Maddy Institute news release
SUMMIT!: Yosemite climbers reach the top of El Capitan — They made it. Two men who have captured the nation’s attention by scaling El Capitan’s enormous Dawn Wall using only their hands and feet reached the top of the granite monolith Wednesday afternoon, ending a historic climb in Yosemite National Park that took more than two weeks to finish. The two men reached the top of El Capitan at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. Fresno Bee article; KQED report; San Francisco Chronicle article; LA Times article; AP article
Stockton Record: Chairy-go-round – On Jan. 27, three meetings into the new year for the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, it appears as if this game of “Musical Chairmanship” will be over. Maybe. Stockton Record editorial
After shoemaker’s death, an outpouring of goodwill – It was a big crime story in the Central Valley city of Fresno: Grainy robbery footage nightly on the evening news. The news conference with the police chief offering a $15,000 reward. Sheklian’s fate tracked in headlines: “85-year-old Man Injured In Gun Store Robbery,” “85-year-old Man in Critical Condition,” “Services Set for George Sheklian.” But weeks after the din subsided, a quiet pilgrimage of support formed: friends and strangers bringing in shoes. LA Times article
Joe Mathews: The new California Dream is to just stick it out – Today’s California dream is not your grandfather’s California dream. So why do we keep telling ourselves that we’re still seeking the same one? Mathews in Sacramento Bee
Earlimart’s only park reopens to delight of children, parents — The only park in this small Tulare County town reopened Wednesday to the delight of children, their parents and community leaders. Fresno Bee article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee – Tough Attorney General job will get harder for Kamala Harris; We can’t say the measles outbreak is a surprise. For years, public health officials have warned thatthe anti-vaccination movement was making us and our children vulnerable to formerly conquered diseases.
Merced Sun-Star – We can’t say the measles outbreak is a surprise. For years, public health officials have warned that the anti-vaccination movement was making us and our children vulnerable to formerly conquered diseases.
Modesto Bee – We can’t say the measles outbreak is a surprise. For years, public health officials have warned that the anti-vaccination movement was making us and our children vulnerable to formerly conquered diseases.
Sacramento Bee – We can’t say the measles outbreak is a surprise. For years, public health officials have warned that the anti-vaccination movement was making us and our children vulnerable to formerly conquered diseases; When one actress stands up to unfairness in the workplace in this male-dominated business, it makes it all the more likely that women everywhere will believe they can stand up, too.
Stockton Record – At some point in 2015, approximately 250 of the Stockton Police Department’s patrol officers will be equipped with body cameras. This is a very positive development; On Jan. 27, three meetings into the new year for the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, it appears as if this game of “Musical Chairmanship” will be over. Maybe.